Do you have any doubts about the results of your TPI profile sheet? Do you think it will help you in your future or current teaching?

When I reviewed my TPI profile sheet, I was not surprised by the results. My TPI indicated that my predominant teaching approach was nurturing with developmental being a close second. The nurturing component of my teaching style is indicative of my belief in cultivating self-efficacy, which is a fundamental tenet of connectivist MOOCs. My approach to teaching is very similar to Tom’s approach, where eliciting student motivation is a driving force in facilitating student development. When my students enjoyed being in my class, that motivated and inspired me to create a meaningful educational experience, which is why my second characteristic indicated a developmental teaching trait that cultivates ways of thinking from a constructivist/cognitivist perspective.

Moving forward in my teaching career, I would welcome either an administrative position or a teaching position in higher education. Either educational path has its potentials to be rewarding because I see myself administering both TPI results again. I think it is imperative for an educational leader to guide students or staff and nurture their self-efficacy because motivation spawns creativity.

Compared with traditional classroom, what do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of flipped classroom?

 In an elementary school classroom, the concept of a flipped classroom is absurd. During the formative years of education, students lack the discipline or cognitive prowess to create their own learning. Furthermore, the concept of “discussing” versus “presenting” would lead to tangents in class, thus an inability to meet curriculum expectations.

However, in post-secondary education, I think a flipped classroom could work if the teacher approached the concept from an apprenticeship perspective. A mentor models and students learn by doing. In order for that to happen, a mentor requires a certain level of expertise in order to guide self-directed learning. I think there still needs to be accountability in education and by having a reciprocal educational platform where learner and master discuss and create a suitable model, then it could, perhaps, be facilitated.

Based on your answer to the TPI question, what experiences do you think influenced you to make some choices?

Education has not changed in 150 years because it is embedded in our social, economic, and political contexts. Education has been a valuable “commodity” in our industrialized society, which is why it is a major component of the educational design. As such, my role as a mentor and educator requires me to guide students in order to acquire the cognitive skills necessary to compete in an increasing globalized world. Technological skills have now become pertinent, so the current educational lecture model should change as well because in order to build critical thinking, deep understanding, and application of knowledge – the kind of skills needed in a digital age – lectures are ineffective. Problem- based learning appears to be more useful for long-term retention and developing “replicable” skills, needed to adapt.